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Biotechnology in the production of a protein for autoimmune diagnostics: Katja Ammann receives the prize for the best master’s thesis
Applied research combined with experience in industry: These were Katja Ammann’s goals for her master’s thesis in nanosciences. She succeeded in these objectives with her project at BÜHLMANN Laboratories AG. Ammann is also receiving the prize for the best master’s thesis in nanosciences at the University of Basel in 2025.
Like many other nanoscience students, Katja Ammann chose to study nanosciences because she couldn’t decide between chemistry, biology and physics – she wanted to study them all. Through the block courses she attended and her two projects, she ultimately found that she was particularly interested in applied pharmaceutical research. For her master’s thesis, the young researcher from Thurgau also wanted to gain experience in industry — not only because it was important to her to make a positive contribution to society but also to improve her chances on the job market after completing her studies.
“It was thanks to our program coordinator, Dr. Anja Car, that I came to work at BÜHLMANN Laboratories AG,” explains Ammann. “Anja was in touch with Dr. Michael Gerspach, who had studied nanosciences several years ago. Gerspach now leads the Specialty Products Development group at BÜHLMANN Laboratories AG and regularly lectures on applied nanotechnology in industry here in Basel. He also made sure that I could do my master’s thesis at BÜHLMANN Laboratories AG. From a selection of the projects he presented, I then chose one that would allow me to do research on a protein that plays a key role in an autoimmune disease.”
Sustainable protein production
In the autoimmune disease in question, the body’s immune response is targeted directly at the protein. Medical laboratories can already detect the disease using an “ELISA” test, in which the protein is attached to a microtiter plate and patient serum is added to it. If the serum contains antibodies against the protein, these will bind to the attached protein and can therefore be detected. Until now, the required protein has been isolated from human tissue. “It would be more sustainable, however, if we could produce the protein using bacterial or cell cultures with the help of recombinant protein expression,” says Ammann. “And that was precisely what my work sought to do.”
Amman began by processing and manipulating the genetic template for the protein at the DNA level so that it could be smuggled into mammalian cells as a blueprint for the protein. The cell cultures modified in this way were then able to produce the protein under standardized conditions in the lab. From the supernatant liquid, Amman was able to isolate the biotechnologically produced protein and purify it in several steps — as purity is vital for the specific test.
This might sound simple, but it is actually a complex process entailing numerous intermediate steps in which there are different influencing factors and potential problems. Amman succeeded in producing and purifying the protein in cell cultures; however, some of the sugar structures bound to the protein, which are essential for diagnostic testing, were missing. Despite further experiments, Amman was unable to fully resolve this issue.
Valuable screening method
“Katja’s master’s project did, however, yield an extremely valuable ‘by-product,’ which we continue to use on a regular basis,” says Dr. Christina Bauer, who was Amman’s supervisor. “Specifically, she developed a quick and simple screening method that we can use to test whether biotechnologically produced proteins are suitable for diagnostic detection.”
In this test, researchers can produce their proteins from cells on a small scale, break the cells down, separate them using gel electrophoresis, and then incubate them directly with patient serums in order to investigate their binding to the protein. “This rapid screening technique, which is based on the western blot method, saves us a great deal of work because we don’t need large amounts of the protein for detection — and there’s also no need to purify it,” explains Bauer.
The right choice
For Ammann, the aim of completing her master’s thesis in industry was an excellent choice: “I received first-rate supervision, both from the team at BÜHLMANN Laboratories AG and from Professor Daniel Ricklin from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Basel,” she says. “Above all, the project taught me that a lot of research is about looking for reasons why something didn’t go to plan. Even if something doesn’t work out, the insights obtained are still valuable,” she says, summarizing her experience.
Amman’s hope of finding a job in industry after her master’s degree in nanosciences has also been fulfilled. As a research associate at LimmaTech Biologics AG (Schlieren), she is still working in protein engineering — albeit with a view to identifying vaccines against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
She therefore continues to pursue her ambition of working on applied research, contributing ideas of her own, enjoying herself, and having a positive impact on humanity all at the same time.
We would like to wish her all the best for the future and congratulate her on her excellent master’s thesis!
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